Jesus Adaniel: From nurse to franchisee, all in the name of love

Jesus Adaniel’s track record could be featured in a New York Times best-selling novel.
A former Army Lieutenant. A RN and CRNI. An assistant nurse manager in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit. Sprinkle on pediatric certifications, and Adaniel even owns the BrightStar Care agency in Delray Beach, Florida that he works for.
The 47-year-old and his wife purchased a BrightStar location in Delray Beach, Fla., in August 2007 and opened six months later. With health care in his blood, Jesus has been in the industry for 24 years and began in home care in New York with his wife, Amy.
Amy was ill during her pregnancy with both of the couple’s children, experiencing extreme nausea and severe hyperemesis. When the two moved to Florida, Amy lost her job due to injury, and Jesus decided to take things into his own hands.
With the encouragement of BrightStar Care CEO Shelly Sun, Jesus and Amy bought a location and fell in love. “My sister-in-law who owns a franchise needed a nurse for a DON position,” Jesus said. “I helped her out for a year and began to think to myself, my wife is looking for a job, so why not dismiss working for somebody when we could do it for ourselves. We did our research, and found BrightStar Care.”
"We fell in love with BrightStar Care’s approach, concept and model. It allowed us to be able to participate in personal care, which we were both passionate about.” Jesus was adopted by his aunt, an RN in New York City. Right after high school, Jesus began working in the OR in the military. He learned quickly he was more passionate about health care, which had a high demand at the time, and he decided to pursue nursing.
Jesus said it isn’t easy to juggle owning a business and actually being in the trenches as a Director of Nursing. But he makes it work, and helping out the critically injured pushes him each day. “The most rewarding part of my job is taking care of older critically injured clients, transitioning them to a home care setting and getting to know them personally,” Jesus said. “I believe that it’s my duty to deliver competent nursing to that portion of the population.”
Jesus cited the personal side of home health care when asked if he had any unique stories. “I have one client who always gives me an ice cream bar,” he said. “They treat me like I’m family.” Jesus and Amy are also strong advocates for music therapy and their location works with local music therapists to diversify and enhance care. Furthermore, Jesus helps his wife on “the committee for the Alzheimer’s Association.” Amy is a chairman.
Jesus considers himself blessed. “I can care for the clinically injured and help see them transition to a home or community to continue their life,” he said. “Being a part of that transition phase is amazing, and once you get to know the client at their home, you become almost a part of their family once you know they are looking forward to you coming by and spending time with them.”